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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27426256">Oikawa Tooru Goes Through the Five Stages</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fancy2na/pseuds/fancy2na'>fancy2na</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Argentina, Crack, F/F, Friends to Lovers, IwaOi Week, IwaOi Week 2020 (Haikyuu!!), Jealousy, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Pining, lmao im so sorry ushiwaka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 00:15:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,517</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27426256</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fancy2na/pseuds/fancy2na</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tooru reacts to Iwaizumi's selfie with Ushijima. Feelings ensue. He also befriends some cool Argentinian lesbians.</p><p>A medley of both angst and absolute crack.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>135</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>IwaOi Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Oikawa Tooru Goes Through the Five Stages</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Iwaoi Week 2020 Day 3: Jealousy</p><p>I wrote this at like 4am when the selfie chapter first came out and never continued it but I figured I'd just finish it to contribute to Iwaoi Week. </p><p>There's some Lunfardo phrases said by some characters which I will put translations for in the end notes.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>He misses Iwaizumi during his time in Argentina. </p><p>Has missed him since the moment he stepped foot off the plane 6 months ago and South America's warm salty air permeated the vacant space between his lungs where the heart he's been told he doesn't have by all the high school flings that dumped him might be. Since the moment he towed his sticker-speckled luggage through the security gate at Sendai International and fought every protesting particle of his existence not to look back at the young man that had sent him off with a wicked, watery smile and a <em> “Go kill it, partner.”  </em>Since they'd sat down on those creaky old swings at the run-down parkette up their street and he'd blurted out that he’d accepted <em> Club Athletico San Juan’s </em>sponsorship invitation. Hell, since the prospect of going abroad surfaced into his head as not a far off idea but a serious consideration, and then, an actual likelihood when all else spectacularly failed.  </p><p>Months ago, Tooru had blurted to his best friend that <em> Oasis Town </em> had called for him and Iwaizumi had concluded, <em> “Guess I’ll go on an adventure too.”  </em></p><p>(He doesn’t dare consider the reason is that Iwaizumi just couldn’t handle the feeling of being left behind otherwise. Or worse, that he'd had his own dream so burning that he’d have chased it to truth regardless.)</p><p>
  <em>I need some air.</em>
</p><p>Rising to his feet, sore as all hell from today's hellish practice, Tooru drifts over to the tiny balcony attached to his dorm room. It barely fits a chair and a squashy side table, but he appreciates it nonetheless because all around, interspersed between buildings, are dozens of lazy palm trees. The only time he'd ever seen palm trees in his life had been a family trip to Okinawa for a distant cousins wedding. But even then, they weren't so luscious and grand. Their fronds cast stripey shadows over his phone as he opens up Whatsapp to shoot his best friend a message.</p><p>Iwaizumi's probably still in class so he doesn't expect an immediate reply but…</p><p>"Oh."</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>WhatsApp</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Chats (5)</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Hajime </b>
</p><p>
  <b>5:40pm</b>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em> iwachannnnnn~~ &lt;&lt; </em>
</p><p>
  <em> practice was soooo exhausting today &lt;&lt; </em>
</p><p>
  <em> coach had me doing those dorky seal-dives karasuno used to do :/ &lt;&lt;</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; lol bet you looked lame</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> wow, rude &lt;&lt;</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I would like to single handedly impose a ban on these drills &lt;&lt; </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; were they tough on your knee?</b>
</p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; I read in class that too much pressure on your meniscus can re-tear the cartilage between your femur and tibia</b>
</p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; be careful doing those </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> awww you do care &lt;3 &lt;&lt; </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I will I promise! &lt;&lt;</em>
</p><p><em> are you in class? i</em> <em>m not distracting you am I? &lt;&lt;</em></p><p> </p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; thats never stopped you before annoyingkawa</b>
</p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; but no im skipping actually</b>
</p><p><b>&gt;&gt; utsui sensei emailed me back this morning, </b> <b>said he had a cancellation today and invited me to talk with him so im omw now</b></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> omg thats amazing! &lt;&lt;</em>
</p><p>
  <em>so excited for you! XD &lt;&lt;</em>
</p><p>
  <em> did you bring the book for him to autograph? &lt;&lt;</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; ofc </b>
</p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; im not gonna get him to sign a jockstrap like you did when you met blanco lol</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> THAT WASNT MY FAULT AND YOU KNOW IT &lt;&lt;</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; alright you keep telling that to yourself</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> besides! &lt;&lt;</em>
</p><p>
  <em>when I met blanco again he said he remembered me as a kid! I made quite the impression. &lt;&lt;</em>
</p><p>
  <em>like, who could ever forget signing a JOCKSTRAP!? &lt;&lt;</em>
</p><p><br/>
<b>&gt;&gt; your mom when she put it in the washing machine ahahaha</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>LOW BLOW IWAIZUMI ;;A;; &lt;&lt;</em>
</p><p><br/>
<b>&gt;&gt; jks</b>
</p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; okay i g2g</b>
</p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; let you know how it goes</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> alright~~  &lt;&lt;</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'll be out with the team but message me anytime &lt;&lt;</em>
</p><p>
  <em>good luck iwachan!  &lt;&lt;</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; thanks ill ttyl</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>rooting for you &lt;3 &lt;&lt;</em>
</p><p><br/>
<b>&gt;&gt; :) </b>
</p><p> </p><p>Sighing, Tooru collapses onto his patio chair, phone heavy in hand.</p><p>He wishes intensely that he could be there with Iwaizumi, underneath the Californian palm trees, right by his side as he met his idol for the first time. Like Iwaizumi had been when Tooru met José Blanco a decade ago.</p><p>Except there's more to it, because he wishes that Iwaizumi was here in San Juan, also. Not just on the court but lying next to him at the beach, admonishing Tooru for not sunscreening enough. Grabbing his hand to tow him the right way when he reads directions wrong. Sitting beside him during Spanish lessons, gossiping about classmates over their breaks. He even wishes Iwaizumi was here to tease him when the locals assume he's a minor, or a tourist. To nag but still let Tooru cheat his athlete's diet and eat <em>dulce de leche</em> with a spoon right from the jar... </p><p>Japan, Argentina, America, wherever. As long as they're together like they've always belonged.</p><p>He knows these thoughts are selfish. Tooru's hyper self-awareness has been a double-edged sword throughout his life. See, his best friend has been a huge fan of Utsui Takashi since middle school. Much like how Tooru had hero-worshipped cool and calculating Blanco, he watched Iwaizumi’s fascination with Takashi Utsui grow in the stacks of books on his bedside desk. <em> Volleyball Physical Training </em>was forever dog-eared and highlighted for the gods on top. Iwaizumi took it everywhere he went, referenced it whenever anyone on the old team at Seijou felt any sort of ache or pain. Tooru and his knee included.</p><p>So it's no surprise that Iwaizumi followed his hero just like Tooru had. That he's chasing his love for the game in his own way, across the world, beneath the shade of palm trees. Because they'd always done the same things, only now, no longer together.</p><p>Life alone is a learning curve, he supposes. Only it feels more like Tooru is falling down through the sky. </p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>He’s out with teammates for dinner near <em>Plaza 25 de Mayo, </em>a bustling city square in central San Juan, when The Selfie arrives.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Hajime </b>
</p><p><b>8:15pm</b> <b></b></p><p> </p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; [x]</b>
</p><p> </p><p>At first his eyes just lock on Iwaizumi, glowing and golden with a familiar devilish grin. He’s wearing the Champion shirt Tooru bought him for Christmas, filling it out juicier than ever. Tooru's heart skips a beat. Iwaizumi must have just met Utsui-sensei. </p><p><em>Actually...</em> he squints. That's not a golden glow. He's backlit as all hell. And it looks like he wasn't ready for the camera shutter to go off because his blurry hand is in the shot.</p><p>
  <em>You suck at selfies, Iwachan. </em>
</p><p>But Iwaizumi’s selfies are so rare and precious that Tooru treasures it all the same. And his mooning is exactly why he nearly misses the entire other person in the photo. He wishes he did.</p><p>Ushijima Wakatoshi. Not even looking at the camera, with what Tooru assumes is the asshole’s best attempt at a smile across his face. </p><p>
  <em> Ushijima Wakatoshi. In California. With Iwachan.</em>
</p><p>Heart plummeting to the bottom of the Atlantic, Tooru frantically zooms in on the image and spots two coffee cups resting behind them. As if they’d just gone on a <em> coffee date. </em></p><p>An accompanying text message comes then. It's the death blow. A one hit KO.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>&gt;&gt; found a new bestie in Cali</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>&gt;&gt; turns out hes sensei's son </strong>
</p><p><strong>&gt;&gt; crazy</strong>, <b>right? </b></p><p> </p><p>His San Juan teammates are still chatting and drinking at the table around him, not noticing the phone clamor out of their new setter’s hands and into his sizzling plate of <em> Asado. </em></p><p>It’s a single photo, but a trigger warning would've been damn nice, because it sends Tooru through the 5 stages of grief. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>1. Denial</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> This can’t be real, he photoshopped it-- made all this up to mess with me. Is it April 1st? Don’t they do these kinds of elaborate pranks in America?</em>
</p><p>"What month is it?" he asks one of his middle blockers.</p><p>The guy slaps him on the back, “Drunk already, Toto?” </p><p>“You’re pretty lightweight for a tall dude!” laughs his libero, eyeing Tooru’s half empty bottle of beer.</p><p>“He needs to drink more, I say! Get him another <em> Quilmes!” </em></p><p>"Does your friend have ID? He looks like a minor."</p><p>Ignoring them, Tooru swipes his phone from his plate and wipes it off, lifting it close enough to his face that his nose nearly touches the screen. His eyes read the words a dozen times more, assessing and reassessing the photo, as if at some point any of it will whoosh away like a magic illusion or transform into a giant neon SIKE! </p><p>
  <em>There’s no way that Ushiwaka of all people is THERE with HIM, that his dad is freaking Takashi Utsui. That one person on this earth could be so freaking goddamn blessed at birth-- </em>
</p><p>Tooru abruptly stands up, chair screeching against the tiled floor. “I need some air.” he announces, beelining outside of the restaurant to pace back and forth.</p><p>
  <em> Ushiwaka is in California. His dad is Utsui Takashi. He introduced Iwachan right to him then took him on a freaking coffee date. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Are you kidding me?  </em>
</p><p>There’s a fountain nearby and Tooru nearly whips his bloody phone into it. It smells like barbecue now anyways.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>2. Anger</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I’m going to catch a flight to California right now and fight him to the death outside a Denny’s. I don’t care who the hell his dad is-- this asshole is trying to steal my best friend-- as if prefecturals wasn’t enough-- and then take him on expensive coffee dates-- </em>
</p><p>
  <em>oh hell, did he realize how sexy Iwachan is and make the moves on him?  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> That’s it, I HAVE to kill him! </em>
</p><p>Tooru shoves the sticky cell phone in his back pocket. He itches to do something with his hands, clenching them into fists, wishing he had a volleyball to spike right now with Ushiwaka’s face painted like a target in front of him. He’d get a bullseye.</p><p><em> “</em><em>¿Estás bien?"</em>A lady smoking on the fountain ledge asks. She seems concerned, and her friend beside her looks how someone watching another person try to diffuse a bomb might. </p><p>Tooru, still fuming, is too caught off guard to reply so she switches to English, probably assuming he didn’t understand. “Alright over there?”</p><p>“I’m great. Just peachy thanks.” he grits out in response, certain the steam whistling from his ears and his cheeks blistering red as Syrah indicate otherwise.</p><p>“You sure? Want a smoke?” She nudges her friend who holds out a pack of Marlboros. “Might make you feel better.”</p><p>“I’m an athlete, I'll pass.” </p><p>
  <em> And also my teeth are clenched together so hard I’d probably bite it in half. </em>
</p><p><em>“Bueno, cómo quieras.”</em> she shrugs. And Tooru would have gone back to planning his murderous tirade if he didn’t notice the two women proceed to hold hands and lean in reaaaaal close, passing the brunette’s cigarette back and forth, high on each other.</p><p>“Is it normal to wish violent death upon a man for taking your best friend on a date?” he blurts out at the poor ladies. He’s shaking and must look so uncool but he doesn’t even care, without Iwaizumi to talk to he feels so alone.</p><p>“Sounds like you’re jealous.” the second woman chuckles. She’s got bronzed skin and short spiky hair like Iwaizumi does. Tooru can’t bring himself to be offended by the assumption. </p><p>"And regretting not taking your friend out first.” the other adds. “Death wishes are harsh, Mr. Athlete.”</p><p>Ah, the next stage of grief. </p><p> </p><p>
  <b>3. Bargaining</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Okay, okay. She’s right, death wishes are harsh. There will be no contemplating murder today. No matter how much I would like to run a katana through Ushiwaka’s chest in a Denny’s parking lot. Or even a 7 Eleven parking lot. Doesn’t have to be katana, either. Actually, I bet I could do it with a butter knife. It’d be messy but Iwachan would swoon appreciatively into my rightful arms afterwards--  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Shit, there I go again.  </em>
</p><p>Tooru squeezes his arms around himself although he’s not particularly cold. He tap-tap-taps his foot against the cobblestones and wills his rabbitheart to just calm down and be reasonable for one hot minute. He gazes up at the trees above, imploring them to inform him how a best friend should react in this situation.</p><p>
  <em> I'll just call Iwachan and convince him to stay away from that asshole. He doesn’t need Utsui Takashi, I can find him a new idol. In fact, he doesn’t even need to study sports medicine at all. It’s not too late for him to get back into volleyball! Coach Cordoba can take him on as a ball boy and he can work his way up to wing spiker. Not coffee, miss me with that shit, we’ll get dinner together like we did after practice in high school--</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Oh fuck, I AM jealous aren’t I? </em>
</p><p>His rabbitheart halts.</p><p>“Listen, it’s not like that between us. My best friend and I,” Tooru chokes on these words, chokes on the lies, unable to tell them anymore. “Even if I wanted it to be... everything is complicated by long distance. We’re on different continents.”</p><p>“Have you ever been apart before?” the brunette woman taps the fountain ledge beside her, inviting Tooru to sit down. </p><p>
  <em> Great, I’m getting therapy from strangers now. </em>
</p><p>He takes a seat anyways, arms still crossed tightly against his chest.</p><p>“I’m Catalina, by the way.”</p><p>“And I’m Elena.” says the other, eyes flashing. “Her wife.”</p><p>He nearly falls backwards into the fountain. </p><p>“Wife?!” </p><p>The women giggle at him, then raise their entwined hands with matching rings to prove it. </p><p>“New to Argentina, are you?” Elena observes. “Our marriage isn’t unusual here, <em> pibe.” </em></p><p>“Where I’m from it certainly is. Northern Japan. It’s why my friend would never… y’know.”</p><p>“That’s no excuse, Mr. Athlete! Maybe he <em> would.” </em> Catalina puffs on her cigarette. “Even if you left him in Japan, you will never know unless you ask him on that date yourself. Plotting to murder this new guy isn’t going to get you anywhere.”</p><p>“Lina’s tried that with my exes and failed, take her word for it.” Elena laughs.</p><p>“He’s not in Japan, actually. We moved abroad around the same time. He’s studying in California right now.”</p><p><em>“¡No seas boludo! ¿Cómo no vas a entender algo tan simple?”</em> Elena exasperates.</p><p>Catalina chucks the cigarette to pat her on the back<b>. </b>“Can’t you see, Mr. Athlete? He's so close to you. He couldn’t stay away.”</p><p>And Tooru can’t believe her because his athlete’s peabrain makes it to the next stage of grief:</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>4. Depression</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> What does it matter? California or Miyagi. America or Japan. Ushiwaka always wins (except against Karasuno apparently but I don't wanna think about that either).  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> He wins at LIFE, and now he’s winning over Iwaizumi too.  </em>
</p><p>Tooru bites down on his lip to keep it from wobbling, unable to stop the oncoming freight train of internal delusion and despair.</p><p>It derails.</p><p><em> Just wait, Ushiwaka won’t stop at simply replacing me as Iwachan’s best friend. Soon enough they’ll drink one too many drinks and tumble into bed together, and then one thing will lead to another and by December they’ll be freaking engaged ‘cause </em> <em> it's </em> <em> legal there too. Utsui Takashi will officiate their wedding and everything, there’ll be a feature on it in all the magazines, front page, “JAPAN’S GREATEST SUPER ACE SNATCHES FALLEN VOLLEYBALL KING’S BEST FRIEND TIL DEATH DO THEM PART” And I’ll only be invited out of pity so Ushiwaka can rub beautiful tuxedoed Iwachan right in my face just like he did with his prefecturals wins. “</em><em>You should have married him first.” he’ll sneer in that deadpan tone he always does-- right into the microphone so all of the guests can hear. Then everyone who is anyone in the professional volleyball world will laugh at me-- Iwachan, traitor and also no longer Iwachan but Ushijimachan, will kick me out and forget about me and then I'll curl up and die FOREVER ALONE in the Denny’s parking lot where I belong.  </em></p><p>“Oh <em> pibe! </em>No you won’t!” </p><p>There’s a comforting touch on his shoulder and Tooru removes his hands from covering his pitiful face.</p><p>“Did I just say all that out loud?”</p><p><em>“Bajar un cambio. </em>You are too pessimistic.” Elena has moved to Tooru’s other side, touching his opposite shoulder. “Sounds like you are making excuses.”</p><p>
  <em> I REALLY want to die in that parking lot now. And maybe chug my abandoned lukewarm beer. </em>
</p><p>Tooru groans, succumbing to fate. Guess he’s really dumping it all on these poor ladies, huh.</p><p>“Fine, I’ll admit. I wouldn’t be invited to the wedding out of pity. Iwaizumi <em> knows </em> all of our old volleyball team would help me burn the place down if he didn’t make me his best man. And I'd <em>still</em> steal the show. The ONE thing I have that Ushijima doesn't is this bangin' Argentinian glow.”</p><p>Aaaaaand with that comes the stabbing chest pains. The harrowing contractions of the heart, like someone’s thrusted a katana through it for real. As if a steam engine's smashed him to itty bitty pieces.</p><p>It’s still not good enough. And he can't help but think that “best man” is certainly the stupidest phrase in the English language. Because no best man has ever been the best standing next to the groom’s <em> real </em> first choice.</p><p>And Oikawa Tooru will not settle for less-- he has always been selfish. This he is aware of.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>5. Acceptance</b>
</p><p> </p><p>“I don't want to give Iwaizumi up.” he concedes, “I wanna be the man across from him, the person he looks at with those intense eyes and... the one he kisses at the altar. Who he makes shirtless breakfast for in the morning and allows to spoil him rotten at night. Who comforts him when studying for his PhD beats down on his spirit, safekeeping his honour.”</p><p>“A little bit TMI there but that’s the spirit!” Catalina cheers.</p><p>“I wanna take him on a million coffee dates, be there for every new 'first' he experiences.” Tooru springs up, stands 6 feet tall on his own two legs. “In sickness and in health, us two and no one else, for as long as we both live. A partner he can be proud of.”</p><p>“Woo!” Elena claps, “Call him! Propose right now!” </p><p>Her wife tuts and adds, “Maybe hold off on that part. What are you, sixteen?”</p><p>“Fuck Ushiwaka, I want him to pick ME!”</p><p>The three of them are causing a bit of a scene but Tooru is too emboldened to even care. Passersby tourists can stare all they want-- Tooru’s been sitting on these feelings, letting them loom and fester for literal years. He won’t be stopped now by an audience. </p><p>“Yeah! I can’t believe I freaked out over a blurry ass selfie.”</p><p>Iwaizumi got to meet his hero and Tooru isn’t going to die alone or and be usurped as his most important person and that's it. That's the cold hard truth. So what if Ushiwaka is in California? What Iwaizumi and Tooru share is 18 years of untouchable.</p><p>“Wait, you’ve been this heartbroken over a <em> selfie?” </em></p><p><em> “No le llega el agua al tanque." </em>Catalina snorts, pulling out another cigarette. “Now <em> I </em> need one of these.”</p><p>“Hey now! It’s more than just that!” Tooru insists, though he is no doubt blushing beetroot red. He has no time to defend his sensibilities further because<em> his phone starts ringing. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Incoming Call: Hajime</b>
</p><p> </p><p>“Kya!” He declines out of reflex, panic-screaming a little, and sees that Iwaizumi has been trying to contact him for the past hour.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>WhatsApp</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Chats (11)</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Hajime</b>
</p><p>
  <b>9:04pm</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; hey dont leave me on read</b>
</p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; are you mad? </b>
</p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; i was expecting an onslaught of accusations of me being a traitor or something</b>
</p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; maybe a denouncement from seijou</b>
</p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; not TOTAL SILENCE</b>
</p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; cmon shittykawa, you know i didnt mean it</b>
</p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; talk to me</b>
</p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; wow </b>
</p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; cant believe i just said that when normally i cant get you to shut up</b>
</p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; gotta switch tactics huh?</b>
</p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; i got SO MUCH DIRT on ushijima from sensei today and im not telling you any unless you pick up your damn phone</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Tooru looks up from the screen with bug eyes. <em> How did I ever doubt him? </em></p><p>“Get your man, Mr. Athlete!” Catalina cheers. </p><p>“The rest will come after!” Elena swears, arm around her wife. </p><p>“Somehow I’m inclined to believe you. I’m going to call him right now.” Tooru bows to both of them, uncaring if it's not a norm in Argentina. “Thank you so much!”</p><p>He receives one more incoming text. Two words.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>&gt;&gt; tooru, please.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>And his heart swells. They’re enough.</p><p>“The names Tooru Oikawa by the way.” he winks, big and cheeky, “Remember it. I’m going to get my man then become the strongest volleyball player in the world.”</p><p>The Argentinians smile back at him. </p><p>“Somehow, we’re inclined to believe you too.”</p><p> Tooru makes the call.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>2 years 6 months in the future, a chance encounter with a certain fiery haired old rival in Rio de Janeiro has Oikawa sending his best friend a traitorous selfie of his own.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>WhatsApp</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Chats (3)</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Tooru: </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>10:00am</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[x] &lt;&lt;</em>
</p><p>
  <em>found a new hubby in rio ;) &lt;&lt;</em>
</p><p>
  <em>and he's beefier than you &lt;&lt;</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Hajime lets out an explosive laugh, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. When his stomach stops hurting from the hysteria, he twists the promise ring around his finger. Because Hinata Shouyou’s three days with his fiancé amount to nothing beside his forever.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> &gt;&gt; nah, not even close babe</strong>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So the running joke with everyone assuming Tooru is a minor is a reference to his timeskip character profile where his biggest concern is  whether or not he looks underage to strangers. Like what a loser I love him lol.</p><p>Also here's some of the Lunfardo words and phrases I included. Not really sure if they use Lunfardo in San Juan but if not lets just pretend the lesbians are from Buenos Aires.</p><p>"Boludo" (idiot, dumbass)</p><p>"Pibe" (like chico. young man, lad)</p><p>“Bueno, como quieras.” (well, suit yourself)</p><p>“Bajar un cambio” (literally, "you need to lower a change." like saying you need to slow down/calm down).</p><p>“No le llega el agua al tanque” (literally, "the water doesn't fill the tank." like saying he's not all there/he's a lil dumb. a polite insult)<br/> <br/>"¡No seas boludo! ¿Cómo no vas a entender algo tan simple?”  (don’t be so idiotic! how can you not understand something so simple?)</p><p> <br/>Please let me know if any of these don’t make sense or were used incorrectly!<br/>Talk to me about iwaoi on tumblr @hopipp or twitter @sugawara_kush literally anytime. </p><p>Also if you liked this fic check out my 14k iwaoi angsty beach volleyball oneshot which I put a lot more work into <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/15371472">HERE</a>!!!</p><p>Also also if you enjoyed my writing and want to support me I have a ko-fi account <a href="https://ko-fi.com/hopipp">HERE</a> where you can buy me a coffee if you like! comments also make me super happy too!</p><p> </p></blockquote></div></div>
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